Brian Schatz on Health Care

Fill in existing Medicare gaps; Part D was deceptive

Medicare Part D was advertised as a major advance in reducing prescription drug costs for our seniors, it has turned out to be totally confusing and terribly costly for the average Medicare recipient.

It was advertised to Congress as costing some
$500 billion, when the true cost, known to Federal bureaucrats before the bill was submitted to Congress, was well above $700 billion. By refusing to allow Medicare to negotiate collectively for cheaper drugs--as the Veteran's Administration can--the
Bush administration guaranteed a windfall for drug companies and a bad deal for millions of elderly Americans. This was deception, pure and simple, motivated by greed and debts to big campaign donors.

What the American seniors want and deserve is a
simple but comprehensive plan that will cover their current prescription drug costs. We can do this by filling in the existing gaps, and allowing the Federal government to use their buying power to negotiate better prices from the industry